Once Human, Now a Parasite

The Blossom Merchant Company sent a team of three dwarves, all with bushy beards and looking way older than their actual age. The three were Gradir, Dodir, and Sandir, each respectively equipped with a two handed mace, two one-handed axes, and, surprisingly, a bow.

It is rare to see a dwarf using a bow as they excel most in close-combat. Nevertheless, none of the other participants dared to underestimate these three despite how comically they behaved and their weird, thug-like accent.

"Can you see their number?"

Standing right next to Ho Qing, Cristina whispered with a low voice, to which the youth shook his head once and maintained his gaze on the three dwarves, which were not very good at hiding or masking their presence.

It wasn't just the MoonStar team who noticed them, however, as the bald young monks took out their identical wooden staffs and readied themselves.

The first one to act was the bow-wielding dwarf. He was standing on a thin branch, aiming his exquisitely-decorated bow, which seemed to be made of sapphire.

An explosive whistle burst from the bow and flew straight at the group of five monks. When the unseen arrow was close enough, it split into five pieces, each targeting a monk.

Ready to engage, the five youngsters, in unison, put their staffs in front of their chest and rotated them diagonally, which resulted in the appearance of some sort of golden whirlpools.

Unexpectedly, when the pieces of the arrow struck the whirlpools, nothing happened, much to the monks' surprise. After a couple more seconds passed, the pieces, which fell on the floor, shot a black net that caught the Buddha Team unguarded.

The nets managed to immobilize them for enough time for the two other dwarves to close the distance and unleash their attacks.

Upon seeing the silver card with the number 7 hovering above the mace-wielding dwarf, the MoonStar team already decided to interfere, but not now.

It's better to wait for both teams to tire out then launch a decisive sneak attack.

Of course, killing is not allowed and Gutcha is there to assure that but, that doesn't mean the participants can't use their full strength. It's just, when someone is about to be fatally attacked, the pigolo will interfere.

Additionally, the one who's going to die from said attack will be disqualified. And if a participant attempts to finish off an already incapacitated opponent, he or she will be disqualified too.

The disqualification of participants is unrelated to the whole team so, for example, if Bora breaks the rules, it won't cause the whole team to lose.

"I'm sure we're not the only ones watching the fight."-Shu Ru

The girl, titled the Goddess of Green Leaf, was a bit nervous. While a favorable number had appeared, the fight that just broke out is bound to attract other teams, which will eventually complicate things. This means, the sooner they acquire the number 7, the better.

There are pros and cons to either options and it's up to them to weigh them and act accordingly.

******

"Damnable brats!"

The sect leader of the Dark Blade Sect banged his fist on the chair, very infuriated. The reason he sent a team of his own was not to win the tournament but to hinder Bora and Cristina and force them to be disqualified.

Only when they are outside of the world created by Arthur will he be able to act. It's true that their sudden desertion angered him but what mattered most are their weapons, which were precious artifacts that belonged to the sect and not them.

The sect leader was named Casim Anykol and had recently broken through to the Exalted God Realm, making him an extinguished powerhouse. He was an arrogant individual but, he knew that he's not a match for the other experts here, most notably Arthur and Lucy.

The Black Dragon formation put by Arthur was enough to kill him in a split second. There is also the Kang Clan elder, who will surely assist the couple if something happens.

The reason behind Casim's anger was the team of the Holy Dominion, composed of only two youths. One was a girl and the other was a young boy that had an eye-catching light-green short hair.

…

"Mr. Arthur, your disciples are truly amazing."

Out of nowhere, the elder of the Kang Clan complimented the team of six, which startled Arthur, who was focusing on the fight between the monks and dwarves.

It was awkward hearing a person so much older than him speak with respect and politeness. In response, the parasite smiled and glanced at two guests belonging to the Kang Clan.

They sat a distance away and were engrossed in their own worlds.

"I could say the same for the young ones from your clan. But I can't help but to wonder why you have not let them participate."

Elder Nord rubbed his small beard while contemplating something before he offered an honest answer.

"It's true that Amidel's children do not fall short on the geniuses there but they're a bit rash and their techniques need honing. The Patriarch wanted you to take them under your wing and train them properly but he was a bit too late as you already handpicked your team. He did not want to impose and force them on you so I've brought them here to watch."

Isadore, who was sitting close to Nord, joined the conversation, his gaze falling on Emily, the young prodigy.

"I have heard of her groundbreaking achievements. She's the youngest Sovereign in the Cloud Sea Universe and is blessed with the Water Flow Physique. If the Kang Clan approves, I can pull some strings and grant her an entry to the School of Wonders."

Elder Nord chuckled and, very politely, declined, "The Kang Clan appreciates your Majesty's offer but there is no need for that."

Hearing an immediate rejection, Isadore did not insist and just let out a sigh while retracting his gaze.

*******

Bonus Lore: School of Wonders.

A private teaching institution located far North of the Cloud Sea Universe, precisely in the Gleaming End Star. Owned by the Star's End Consortium, which is funded by a group of people referred to as 'The Assembly'.

The School of Wonders is quite literally, a school meant to teach the geniuses and young cultivators of Cloud Sea but, on very rare occasions, it accepts people from the System or the Heaven and Hell Universe.

The requirements to enroll are extremely harsh and, even with a strong backing or wealth of infinite wealth, your chances of getting accepted aren't that high. The number of students never exceeded 50 and, each one of them excels in something, whether it's Physiques, Energy Manipulation, Formations, and so on…

Students there study for a maximum of two decades and, without exceptions, they all become extinguished individuals that eventually reach the Exalted God Realm or even a higher realm.

The School of Wonders dates back to the 4th Era, where it was initially built and funded by a single individual, who later created the Star's End Consortium. This person's name remained unknown even after his name but he was commonly called 'The Sage'.

Retrospectively, the title of 'Sage' was presented to a handful of individuals since the Era of Beginning. This sage, especially, was rumored to have reached the last stage of cultivation, the Mortal Transcendent Realm but he disappeared at the end of the 4th Era. Some historians claim that his search for a special world, called 'The Binary Dimension', bore fruit and he managed to reach his destination, never to return.